If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I want to make everything myself in the future, now my fett being done, I don't ever really want to buy a ready-to-paint-prop ever again...

so to start building up my sculpting skills, I chose to do something simple first...

don't be to harsh please... this is my first thing I create with clay since a duck at elementary school I think...

I have 2 questions...

1. how to smooth your sculpt a little?
I was thinking of doing a very thin watered down clay layer over it all when the sculpt is dry, or is it even sandable in some fashion? some very fine correl perhaps?

2. can you add colour to liqued pouring latex, if so... just smack some paint in? acryll or alcyd based?

(ow the mic tip things aren't as crooked as it looks... just ebcasue of lightning etc )

(ow and it's not a complete replica of the DA Sub-Zero... it's going to be a Sub-Zero with all the things of all the suits from every game that I like... Since I don't have a hulk hogan rendered figure, I'll steal the long tight sleeves from the movie for example...

Well,
the clay I use is a "wax" based sulfer free clay which comes in 3 types soft, med soft, and hard. The reason I use the wax based clay is you can apply heat with a heat gun or hairdryer which "melts" the clay surface to a smooth layer which can be tooled very easily. The reason it is sulfer based is so the clay will not inhibit the curing of any silicone rtv rubber applied when making a casting. It will not cure if the clay has sulfur in it. As for the latex colors - I belive you can find all different colors without having to add an additive...

Are you using water based clay or oil clay? If you're using water clay, then I suggest "sanding" it with a sponge. I know it sounds weird but it works really well. You take a sponge with some water and lightly sand the surface with it. If you're using oil based clay, I recommend vaseline. Take some vaseline and apply it to your finger or a brush and use it to smooth out the sculpt. However, by looking at your sculpt I'd guess it was water based clay.

I think I'm going with the sponge aproach, I have sponges here, and since the sculpt is water based clay...

about the pigments... hmm... I'll experiment a bit with what I have... and I'm goin to try and find some paint for shoes or whatever paint's that are somewhat flexible and is for use on plastics etc... I'd really like the latex to be the right base blue colour, that would mean alot more durability then just paint something on. (and I want a durable costume this time )

I try to minimize buying through internet, but it's a tough job alone trying to get the shop keepers to understand what I want. But this info really helps

Tarragó have a good asortment of different colours for leather. It is really flexinle and doesn't crack. The only downside for you i guess is that it is water based so i don't think it will mix with latex that well.

well I just smacked up some bondo, that's sandable, and if it doesn't work out... I'll make reptile

don't really care, I did learn soemthing though.

organic forms liek head masks and stuff... compact smooth clay is the material to use... armor pieces ... youd best be scratch building using plexi-glas, wood, bondo etc etc etc. then make a cast of that...

Dont use self hardening clay!!!! It's the kiss of death, but most importantly - it SHRINKS when it dries ! Go to the sites listed above and invest in a few pounds of good wax based sulfur free (or whatever you prefer) caly, it's reusable most of the time and you can plaster cast or rubber cast right from it since its wax based. Another good thing about wax based clay is it only takes a little heat from your hands manipulating it to make it workable. And it will NOT crack even if it sits for a month (or shrink)

if it doesn't do the trick, I'll shove this latex and the clay up the (no nice word, I tell ya) of the woman who sold it to me...

hypotheticly... If I were to put fiberglass in the plaster... I'd never be able to get it out of the plster without smacking the plaster... or breaking the FG piece in 6 pieces...

how can I avoid that? it will "hoke" itself stuck behind pieces of itself... know what I mean??

would that eb it? smacking the FG piece, glue it back togetehr, bondo it, sand it, and put another coat of FG behind it all??There must be a more conventional way of doing this... I mean how the hell was my FG helme tdone than? that's not a 1000 piece construction either...

I wanted to do this because I want to make props and stuff that won't be composed of a thousand kind of materials (like my blaster, cod and backplate) because scratch building doesn't last long... not long at all...

hmm... what to do.. what to do...
find a store that suplies smooth nice material to work with in the first place... then pigment for latex or coloured latex...

Assuming that is a plaster negative mold, you can put it in the oven at about 150 degrees (I want to say Farenheit, that is the US standard right? I know the standard where you are is probably the opposite) It's not very hot at all really. Just keep an eye on it. It speeds the cure time of the latex greatly.

my god... it was rather flimsy so I put it back in to the mould and put in a layer of "spatel rubber" in dutch... wich is just a thicker form of latex wich didn't need to be poured but rubbed in with a tool.

I hope that when it all dries it's a little stronger and.... that it's sandable? or atleast.. a little?

it has a terrible rough surface... also quit dirty but I can clean that of when it's all dry.

then I'm gonna cut out the center stripes and the mic tips and put something behind it to make it more even and cooler etc...

anyone have any tips on how to make this work...? please don't say "use the trash can" although I'd understand that...